Hridaya Paksha
(Wings of the heart)
Clunker Falcon😃
"Amma the plans for the Pondicherry spa are delayed, it looks like Meenakshi Hari adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose
"What happened? Shobana sipped her coffee flipping pages on the Hindu, skipping "Page 3
"The architect is saying what ever you want for vastu he cannot make it happen ma
"Don't tell Appa Shobana whispered, her daughter and her co-owned a chain of wellness spas across Tamil Nadu called Swasthya
"Amma please how many things will we hide?
"Ennadi? We haven't hidden state secrets, just that plumbing leak in the Coimbatore location, and that power trip last night at the Chetpet location
"Amma Appa already thinks we are expanding too fast
"Left to Appa, we wont even have one spa Shobana leaned on the couch and stared outside
Blazing hot Nungambakkam sunshine blinded her eyes, the front courtyard was a beautiful lush paradise of mango, guava and hibiscus trees. Hari Narayanan her husband was bent over his favorite 1960 Ford Falcon.
"Amma sema ugly color ma, ask him to get rid of it
"Po di, its his year of birth, he absolutely wont do it Shobana sighed
"Then you should tell him the truth about the problems at all three locations
Meenakshi stood up and stretched, like her father she was above average, 5'7 tall, with eyes exactly like her name, but hidden behind large glasses
She wore it adamantly even though she could easily wear contacts
She dressed simply, in fine cotton sarees, a wave of revival sweeping Tamil Nadu
Today's saree a Maheshwari Cotton in bright yellow with a purple border
She was good with business, she had the natural aptitude for it Appa called her the "Boss Lady
Amma rolled her eyes
The two younger brothers Sriram and Srihari were bums in comparison, both wasted the family fortune in "study abroad programs and were still "finding themselves
"Amma Cheechu (Sriram) wanted to try some mridangam lessons this year no?
"He wants to try something every year Shobana set her paper down and got up
The help brought their 4th cup of filter coffee
Amma purposefully walked towards Hari
"Enough! How much longer are u going to stand here? Its 10 AM and already 41C Amma wiped her brow with her pallu
"Is Meenakshi still at home? he asked longingly
"YOU are parked in front of the gate, her car is before your clunker how can she go? Amma mocked
"Not clunker di... Falcon Appa corrected
"She wants to go, edatha kaali pannungo (move ur car out)
"Where is she going? Appa asked eagerly
"WHERE ELSE? Nungambakkam spa first, Chetpet, and then Adyar Amma sighed
"Not for anything else huh?
"Nope Amma shook her head lowering her gaze
"Ask her to date di
"Yes, AND I will ask her to get some tattoos
Amma and Appa looked inside, their daughter was bent over the Pondicherry spa plan unmindful of her parents' worried gaze piercing through the glass French doors
"Avana pathi nenaichukaralo illeyo? (does she even think about him?)
"No I don't think so Amma responded too quickly
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